First Chakra work has been heavy in my practice as I not only have a new awareness of my physical foundation but I am having to reconnect with the foundation of my yoga practice. I have a new awareness of the importance of the ankle as my foundation, not just in my standing poses, but in so many other asanas.
All of the asanas that require us to be on our knees rely heavily on our ankles, to be open to ground down thru the front of the foot to take pressure off of the knees. Child's pose requires the ankles to be flexible as well as up dog. An injury gives you a perspective and awareness as well as gratitude towards the many uses of a particular body part.
Symptoms and imbalances are the language of the body, and it is important that we listen to the message. If you find your knees hurt when you are on all fours, what can you do to bring more balance into the asana. Check your foundation. Maybe the symptoms arise in your wrist on all fours, shift your weight back over your legs more, or take out some of the bend in the wrist by rolling up your mat or shifting your hands further forward.
Pain, I have come to see creates tension, the tension then creates more pain. It can be a vicious cycle. But how many of us created more disease and discomfort in our bodies by ignoring the very message that could relieve the pain and discomfort. The more you resist, the more you try to muscle your way thru the more injury you are likely to create.
As I have gone back to the basic foundation of my practice, using props that I might not have used prior to my accident, I am finding more mastery of the subtle actions of each asana and am finding that some of the more difficult poses are becoming less straining and easier to find ease. We know that if we are not in ease in our poses we are not truly in yoga, yet how many of us practicing yoga can say you stay within ease in your practice?
The first time I truly got what this ease was, was when I learned one small adjustment in that put me in complete ease in headstand. I thought, so this is what is ment by find the ease. My practice now is all about staying with the ease, and the openings and advances in my practice have been shocking. I have fallen in love all over again with my yoga practice, I teach using a chair, even run my sun salutations thru with a chair. I am more in yoga using the wall, the chair, the straps the blocks then I ever was trying to go deeper and create a form that my body may or may not ever be able to achieve.
We all can find ease. It is thru that ease that you are truly practicing yoga.
As you approach your mat, set an intention to stay with ease, thru each and every asana. The minute you lose that ease, grab a prop, modify or make an adjustment. If you are unsure, ask your teacher or listen and the body will tell you.
Feel the aliveness pouring thru you as you are able to be at ease, feel the tension leave the body and the muscles responding by lengthening.
Give yourself permission to pause with this ease and really explore the many actions with in each asana. Open your eyes to the many different sensations you may have previously been distracted from because of pain or tension you were creating by pushing or pulling.
As you prepare to leave the mat, set an intention of gratitude for your body. Be mindful the rest of the day of what you put into your body, as well as the way your treat your body. Allow that attitude of gratitude to move beyond you and out into the community,and see if people don't respond towards you just a little bit differently today.
See you, on the mat!